Chapter 4

"Ah! There are stairs!"

Finally discovering the stairs leading to the next level, I, Alex, couldn't help but shout.

"Is this finally the thirtieth floor...?"

"Yes, we've finally reached the level we aimed for."

"Indeed."

The massive dungeon known as 'Naraku,' renowned for its world-class difficulty. It's said that this terrifying dungeon connects to another world inhabited by demons—the Demon World. We were challenging it.

Our party of five, including me, each specialized in different fields such as swordsmanship, magic, and healing. We had been delving into this dungeon for nearly a month, working together as a team.

To be honest, it took a considerable amount of effort to reach this point. Even in the upper levels, there were A-class monsters roaming around, making it an incredibly dangerous place.

"Food and items are down to half. Even if we return the same way, we should turn back soon to be safe. Fortunately, we've reached our goal, so it might be the right time."

"Yeah... but how many floors are there in this place?"

"I've heard the Four Heroes reached the fiftieth floor."

"Whoa, the fiftieth floor? Another twenty floors?"

"Not just any twenty floors. The difficulty increases even more from here."

Thinking about it, it's an unbelievable story. The Four Heroes are in a realm that we can't even reach, truly god-like beings.

"But even the Four Heroes haven't reached the bottom floor yet..."

"Really, it's a terrifying dungeon."

Just then, one of our members, who had been quietly listening, suddenly noticed something and looked down the stairs.

"Someone is coming..."

"Ah! A monster?"

"No, it's different... this presence... a human?"

"Huh?"

As we were on guard, we could indeed see a figure ascending the stairs.

"Wh-What, a kid? A child in such a place...?"

"And he's alone..."

Unbelievably, it was a boy who looked to be just a bit over ten years old. He was dressed casually, as if he were out for a stroll.

"Wh-Where are your companions...?"

"...So far, no presence..."

"Is he really human? He might be a demon in disguise..."

"He looks human, but there's a possibility he's transformed..."

"...The presence is definitely human... I think."

Logically, it's impossible for a human boy to be wandering alone in such a lower level. It's only natural that we were on guard.

"Does the presence of a person mean we're close to the surface?"

The boy was muttering something while looking at us.

"Hey, kid! Stop right there!"

"...?"

"Answer my questions. ...Are you alone?"

"Um, yes?"

"Ridiculous. There's no way you could reach this level alone. This is the thirtieth floor."

"Thirtieth floor? I see, so there are thirty more floors."

Thirty more floors?

What is he talking about?

"Answer the question. How did you get to this level?"

"How did I...? I just walked, I guess? Or maybe I ran?"

"Even we had a hard time getting here. There's no way a kid like you could reach this level alone."

"Well, I don't know..."

He scratched his cheek, looking puzzled. He didn't seem to be lying or disguised as something else.

"Let's ask him about the outside world."

"Good idea. If he's really human, he should have knowledge of the outside world."

"That's a good plan. ...Kid, last question. What is the name of the country where this dungeon is located?"

It should have been an easy question for anyone to answer. But the boy replied firmly.

"No, I don't know."

"That's impossible. You need the country's permission to challenge this dungeon."

"Well, I don't know... Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of the world beyond this point."

"What do you mean?"

We were confused by the boy's strange statements. Of course, we couldn't lower our guard.

After a while of staring at each other,

"Um, can I go now?"

"..."

Impatient, the boy passed by us. We were ready to fight, but he just left.

"Who was that kid?"

"I don't know. But..."

"...He wasn't just an ordinary person. I didn't sense any fighting spirit or magic, but he was definitely hiding something. He's a skilled fighter."

"So he came here alone?"

Such a terrifying kid... It seems we were just frogs in a well.

Then, a shocking thought crossed my mind.

...Wait a minute?

He came up from the lower levels, right?

Considering his words about "thirty more floors"—

"Hey... I know it sounds crazy, but did that kid... come all the way up from the other side of the dungeon?"